Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, commended the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for Foreign Operations for pushing the Taylor Force Act (TFA) forward today by adding it to the Senate foreign operations appropriations bill with bipartisan support.

The move provides a second avenue for passage of this important legislation, which would freeze U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority until it stops using the funds to reward terrorists.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the bill in a bipartisan vote last month. If the bill is not brought to the Senate floor as a standalone bill, the Senate can pass the bill in December as part of a larger spending package.

The Taylor Force Act (S.1697) is named for the Vanderbilt University graduate student and former U.S. Army officer stabbed to death in Jaffa by a Palestinian terrorist while on a visit to Israel in March 2016.

Orthodox Union Executive Director for Public Policy Nathan Diament, who has been working to build support for the TFA since Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) first introduced it last year, stated:

“Today’s action signals just how serious our legislators are about ending U.S. aid for Palestinian terrorism. We applaud the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee – and its chairman Senator Graham – for placing so much attention on the need to stop using American taxpayer dollars to fund terrorism.”

Orthodox Union President Mark (Moishe) Bane stated:

“We appreciate the many Senators – from both parties – who are supporting this legislation. We ask that Senate leaders bring it to a vote on the floor of the full Senate as soon as possible.”

As the public policy arm of the nation’s largest representative Orthodox Jewish organization‚ representing nearly 1,000 congregations nationwide‚ OU Advocacy works to promote Jewish values and protect Jewish interests in the public square.